


Enterprise - Prologue part 2

by thepunctuator001



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:27:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29030166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepunctuator001/pseuds/thepunctuator001
Summary: T'Pol meets the Enterprise crew, struggles to understand them and makes a surprising allay (or friend)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	1. Volatile Earth

The differences between Earth's cultures were a bewildering puzzle to Vulcan in the sheer number variations. It appeared to the outsider that they simply had no common ground or purpose. Vulcan had different cultures however these were interwoven into a universal structure facilitating a collective responsibility of society and the free exchange of knowledge. Education centres guided their students towards the path which most suited their talents or society's need. Vulcans were taught to regard their long lives as a duty of service owed to the whole. Marriages were organised between parents to forge alliances and those alliances would operate within Vulcan society to improve social standing. It was a system as rigid and inflexible as it was ancient.

Earth culture was viewed with horror by Vulcan elders. A corrupt capitalist model, working in competition, to produce a benefit harvested by the elite. Self centred individuals, seemingly without ethics or conscience, all driven by personal greed and avarice. The rumours were popular amongst Vulcans and encouraged by their religious orders who were concerned by this potential source of contamination. Self sacrifice is acceptable when shared by all but, when Pandora's box was opened, who knew what affect this knowledge might have on the weaker elements of Vulcan society. The nature of Humans, and their desire to socialise, meant that any Vulcan seen fraternising was to be watched very closely indeed.

The Vulcan Science Directorate wanted to study this emerging nation and influence Earth's decisions when dealing with inter-species alien contact. The perceived threat of short lived, fast producing Humans spreading throughout the galaxy was a real enough concern. Earth's leaps in technology had accelerated over the last 100 hundred years as their willingness to take risks, even at the expense of their own lives, helped their relentless march to new scientific breakthroughs. 'Climbing on the shoulders of their dead colleagues' as one unkind scientist had commented. Vulcan scientists, due to their long lifespan, tended to be more cautious and could make a career perfecting their work. The Vulcan High Command had therefore created a long term strategic plan to make Earth dependent on Vulcan technology. Control the pace of development, and the direction of travel, so that Earth's future plans might be delicately shaped.

The Klingon had been a factor totally outside of Vulcan's control. As the Humans became excited again by the chance for space travel the Vulcan's worry only deepened. Klingon was an old empire, known for it's warlike culture and belligerent nature. It's conflicts however did not match up to the Human statistics. The number of wars between different Human cultures over their relatively short history was alarming enough but the sheer numbers killed in these conflicts was staggering. Considering the Human capacity for violence it was fortunate that their first contact with a similarly violent species came from a position of weakness.

T'Pol orders were to act on behalf of the Vulcan High Command in all matters. She was to observe all interactions and report in as much detail as possible so that the Enterprise crew and their actions might be analysed in committee at a later date. In particular the actions of Jonathan Archer who had a reputation of volatility and a particular dislike of Vulcans. The former could be attributed to the military training which encouraged aggression, the later was a more delicate issue. Archer's father had been part of Earth's space programme and Vulcan had actively sought to slow its progress, to raise objections and finally to discredit the science behind the Human rocket's design. It wasn't clear if Archer knew these were deliberate acts but certainly his father's death had set him resolutely against any form of outside interference whether it was kindly meant or not.

Should the opportunity present itself T'Pol was instructed to argue as forcefully as possible that the mission be abandoned, going over Archer's head if necessary. She had pondered over the reactions that this course of action might produce. Would her personal safety be put in jeopardy? T'Pol could not be sure, which for a race as long lived as a Vulcan, put so much more at stake. She was young, in her prime in Human years, but only a youth in Vulcan years.


	2. The crew

T'Pol had no ill effects from her recent hiking adventure. Indeed she had felt better equipped to tackle her mission now that she had found a measure of calm. Lieutenant Reed had brought her to Enterprise and after brief introductions she had retired to her quarters for the night. The sparse room, gunmetal grey, was surprisingly comfortable compared to the Vulcan Compound quarters. Human's required washing facilities and the water shower was something of a luxury, indeed Vulcan's had not installed them at the compound preferring the less wasteful sonic shower. Water wastage for a desert people was a decadent indulgence but a little part of her preferred the sound and feel of real water.

Captain Archer had briefed T'Pol on the mission. It was a surprise that their interaction had been so cordial considering their previous meeting. T'Pol was not wearing Enterprise uniform however her outfit was not overtly Vulcan either. She had pondered over a compromise and finally decided upon a functional bodysuit of Vulcan manufacture. She had seen similar outfits worn by Humans in their broadcast media although perhaps not quite so close fitting. It was a functional garment but it had drawn looks from the crew. T'Pol ignored this although it made her question her choice. Did Human's find Vulcan's attractive? It was something she had not considered before but compared to the female crew members in their shapeless uniform she undoubtedly stood out.

The bridge crew were welcoming, in particular the communications ensign Hoshi, whose background as a linguist gave her a passable Vulcan accent. T'Pol found Hoshi's attempt to talk to her in Vulcan insulting without really understanding why. It was rebuffed immediately with an instruction that the ensign only talk to her in English. Hoshi's happy and excited demeanour collapsed and she unhappily went back to her work. T'Pol felt a strange urge to explain, but didn't understand her own reaction, retreating swiftly behind her Vulcan mask. A few whispered conversations followed from those nearby but then Captain Archer stepped onto the bridge. He gave a short speech welcoming T'Pol and describing the mission ahead of them. The excitement amongst the Humans was palpable, even Hoshi had brightened up and was smiling again.

Firstly the smell started to bother T'Pol. She had applied a nasal numbing agent however a Vulcan's sense of smell is acute and a female Vulcan's even more so. The bridge was a mixture of sickly sweet perfume and body odours. Nervous, excited Humans, sweating as their bodies reacted as nature had intended them to. T'Pol wrinkled her nose.

Enterprise's technology on display had been disappointing. She had received the ship tour the previous day and noted that air-conditioning was restricted to the ship canteen and washroom facilities were a build up on moisture needed to be neutralised. That however was secondary to the technology which T'Pol found available at her science station. Simple tasks which should have taken moments required a level of patience which she flattered herself would tax even the most sanguine Vulcan.

The first few hours T'Pol spent in despair at her science console. Archer had twice asked T'Pol if anything was wrong. His mood seemed to have shifted to one of irritation, the resurgence of his temper displayed on Earth. T'Pol briefly considered whether she had breached some obscure Human protocol but nothing she had said or done could have caused the change. Her enquiries regarding the computer's capabilities were polite and reasonable. It had to be something else - possibly as Captain he had become overwhelmed by the stress of his mission. This was a plausable reason to his distress, she reasoned, it was a troubling revelation and yet another reason why Humans were far too volatile to be allowed to venture into space unsupervised.

At his command chair Captain Archer stewed at his interactions with the Sub-Commander. She seemed to be finding fault with every damn thing she laid her hands on. Enterprise was the first of it's kind, top of the line, cutting edge and yet that damned Vulcan superiority was spoiling what should be the proudest moment of his career. He finally lost his temper and spoke his mind, the dam burst and the last few weeks of turmoil poured over T'Pol. Her reaction only made him madder. Not a flicker of emotion, just staring back at him with those unblinking eyes. Damn StarFleet for allowing this spy onto his ship in the first place and damn all Vulcans.

The first shift ended in an icy silence. By the time T'Pol left the bridge she was almost rigid behind her self control. Her face a mask of concentration. Emotions, troubling at the best of times, threatened to overwhelm her. She held herself in a vice like grip forcing her mind to take total control of her body. After leaving the bridge she went directly to the ships doctor, a Denobulan, Phloxx-Tunnai-Oortann. Worryingly he had been expecting her. His demeanour was pleasant however his background as a psychologist made his enquiries into her reactions suspiciously disingenuous. She received the requested analgesic and fled his clutches.


	3. An apology

T'Pol sat alone in the ship canteen. A brief confusion with the Human controls but finally she received some iced water and a protein supplement - she did not trust the Human food on offer. She reviewed the days events trying to apply logic to interpret her interactions with such an illogical species. Irritation, impatience, the Vulcan High Command would not be impressed by what she had written in her report so far.

"Sub-commander?", a quiet voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes ensign, what is it that you need?" T'Pol replied wondering why the communications officer would want her attention after the day's events.

"I wanted to apologise for my lack of tact earlier today, and", Hoshi stumbled but pressed on, "and to see how you were."

T'Pol was tempted to use the standard Vulcan response of 'I do not understand' however this really would be the final indignity of the day if she resorted to hiding from subordinates. She answered. "You do not need to apologise ensign. It is I who should apologise. Your Vulcan accent is acceptable. I detected a local dialect which I had not heard before from a non-Vulcan speaker. Where did you learn this?"

Hoshi's face blossomed into a smile, her cheeks gaining a pinky colour. "Thank you, Sub-Commander. I had a Vulcan Professor at Middlebury College, Vermont, New England. They specialise in linguistics and were lucky enough to be part of the Earth-Vulcan interspecies exchange programme." There was a clear sense of pride there and rightfully so as Hoshi's resume mentioned fluency in over 40 languages. "I expect I picked up the professor's accent."

T'Pol considered that. Hoshi was clearly an excellent choice for this mission. "Are you part of StarFleet military?" she asked.

"No, Sub-Commander, Captain Archer approached me some months ago and asked me to join for this specific mission. I doubt I'll be needed after the universal translator has superseded my skills. I expect I'll be back on Earth teaching again soon. To be honest this is my first time in space and I'm terrified." She smiled. "My mind keeps hearing these noises as if the ship is about to break apart and I'll be sucked out into space."

T'Pol looked out through the canteen porthole at the inky blackness, the light of distant stars speeding past. "A natural reaction ensign. I can assure you that StarFleet would not have allowed the Enterprise to leave Earth's orbit had it not been thoroughly safety tested." Perhaps a more accurate description would be that Vulcan would not have allowed Enterprise to have left… The reckless desire to cut corners and start this mission had worried Vulcan scientists. Humans had become more secretive, not wanted Vulcan to see all of their specifications. She looked back at Hoshi who seemed to be dancing from foot to foot standing beside her table. "Do you have a question?"

"I'm sorry, Sub-Commander, but can I ask if YOU are okay? I was worried about you."

Ridiculous. T'Pol felt embarrassment. "Vulcan's do not need.." she stopped herself in time. "Thank you ensign," she said, "I must admit to finding the bridge environment very different to a Vulcan vessel. The Captain seemed unsettled. I had assumed it related to the responsibility he has accepted…". She left the statement open.

Could Hoshi provide some insight perhaps? Hoshi cheeks had reddened further and her pupils dilated. That was unexpected. Possibly some kind of allergic reaction? T'Pol glanced at the beverage which Hoshil had chosen, steam rising from the hot liquid.

"Captain Archer is definitely under pressure but I think his reaction may be related to your criticisms about Enterprise. It touches a nerve." Hoshi considered her words. "Humans can have an emotional attachment not only to people but to inanimate objects. It's in our DNA. The Enterprise represents so much more that a piece of equipment. It was a dream, then a proud reality and now it is our home providing care to those who live inside it. Most of the crew will feel some form of attachment to Enterprise and to varying degrees."

T'Pol was incredulous. Her report to the Vulcan High Command would certainly be more interesting to the Vulcan High Command, startling even. Possibly they might not treat her words seriously but Hoshi had unlocked the puzzle. Archer's puffing exhalations, sighing as she understood it, were directed at her enquiries about the equipment. The colour increase to his face as he progressively became less polite and more defensive. SHE had been the architect to the bridge atmosphere.

Hoshi looked on concerned as the revelations continued to occur to T'Pol. "It must be extremely difficult to be the only Vulcan on a ship full of Humans. I admire how you deal with everything. I know I would not have had the courage to do what you do." She received a full on stare from T'Pol, possibly a connection, but most likely an understanding which had not existed before. "If you ever want any company I would be happy to meet off shift for an evening drink. Perhaps to practice my Vulcan?" She smiled hopefully but perhaps that would be a step too far.

"Goodnight ensign" replied T'Pol.


	4. Building bridges

T'Pol was on the Enterprise bridge early the next day before the nightshift had finished. She took the opportunity to discuss her console with her counterpart. Having understood the design better she now believed that it might be modified to come closer to Vulcan specifications. Her role was notionally to be an observer and advisor however as a member of the crew it was her duty to improve the ship's systems. This should be welcomed by the Captain? After reviewing the matter she began to ponder whether this was the right move.

She assigned the status of 'person' to the ship and reviewed again. I am making improvements to the Captain's friend without his knowledge. Perhaps this was unwise. She might talk to the ensign again but it would not do to become reliant on another regarding matters which were her command decision. Perhaps there was another way.

The young helmsman ensign Mayweather arrived and took his position. T'Pol watched him settle himself at the controls and, in the light of her new information, reviewed the comments she had heard him say the previous day. 'Steady, sweetheart' he had muttered as Enterprise moved out of Earth's space dock for the first time. He had also touched his fingers to his lips and then onto his console on vacating helm at the end of his shift. Could this be another example of an attachment. Human's were known to be superstitious but perhaps he felt something more.

More Humans came onto the bridge. Lieutenant Reed greeted her in a friendly but impersonal manner as he did to all ship personnel. That was more Vulcan, indeed from Hoshi's comment, Reed would have transitioned to a Vulcan crew acceptably. Hoshi joined and gave T'Pol a big smile. She didn't however try to greet her in an over familiar fashion for which T'Pol was grateful. Perhaps the young ensign might be an acceptable companion on this voyage.

Finally Captain Archer entered the bridge. Lieutenant Reed snapped to attention however the other bridge crew were more relaxed, smiling and wishing him a good morning. Archer settled into his chair and the morning's reports flowed through him as a never ending stream of ensigns criss-crossed the bridge bringing work updates, course corrections and authorisation requests all necessary with running a starship. He had not yet looked in T'Pol's direction.

"Good morning Captain," she spoke boldly, "I have been reviewing the science station specifications and I believe that I may be able to assist in the focus array, improve our," she used the word purposely, "capability for long range analysis. Do I have your permission to discuss the matter with engineering?" T'Pol waited tensely as Archer digested this.

"Thank you Sub-Commander," Archer looked thoughtful, "That would be most helpful. Talk to Commander Tucker and keep me apprised of the results. Do you think you can bring us up to Vulcan standards?" The question was lightly put but T'Pol realised there was an undercurrent here that perhaps she was not understanding.

"Unknown Captain, but I shall try my best to improve our capabilities." Again her choice of word, 'our', was a deliberate act. Very un-Vulcan.

"Thank you Sub-Commander." Archer broke into a small smile. "Perhaps you, and Trip would join me in the Captain's mess afterwards to run through the updates?"

That was unexpected. T'Pol accepted but her heart sank. Eating with Humans was not to be taken lightly. Her stomach lurched at the thought of their carnivorous appetites. Large herbivore steaks, blood seeping from the meat. Pungent sauces and most alarmingly their habit of talking while eating. The thought of flecks of meat flying through the air in her direction as they masticated their meal. She almost declined but to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, no, she was Vulcan. She would endure - it was her duty.


	5. Keep yer shirt on

While other sections of the ship had motion sensors to open and close ship doors, engineering was a special case. The necessity for strong reinforced steel alloy surrounding the Enterprise's power plant was paramount to the design. The result was more akin to a submarine as you climbed through a hatch which was opened by a wheel located on both sides and closed on entry. Any leak would be contained within engineering's strong walls as would those unfortunate enough to be caught inside.

An ensign came over to T'Pol immediately as she climbed inside and shut the hatch behind her. The noise of the engine made it difficult to hear the ensign's questions but gradually T'Pol's hearing adjusted to the constant sounds and focused on her voice. She replied and Commander Tucker was brought over to see her.

"Morning Sub-Commander," he smiled widely, "come to see where it's all at? Commander Charles Tucker the Third." He put out his hand in a friendly fashion. "Call me Trip".

T'Pol recoiled. She ignored his hand and instead hoped to distract him with questions. "Impressive Commander, I have not seen a Human vessel before quite so advanced."

Tucker's smile dropped. "She's top of the line, Sub-Commander. I've not seen any Vulcan ships, 'cause you won't let us, but you won't find a better spec'd ship in StarFleet."

His pride was clear in his voice as was his reference to the ship as 'she'. T'Pol reviewed her words again. "I did not mean any disrespect".

The Commander's smile returned. "That's okay. Enterprise ain't small potatoes. What can I do for you?"

T'Pol again was nonplussed. Potatoes? She had no reference for this. Ignoring the potential for misunderstanding she ploughed on. "Thank you, Commander. The Captain has approved my review of the science station sensor array." She explained her thoughts and waited for his response.

"You know that this is a big deal don't ya? You can't go changing stuff willy-nilly just 'cause you want to. Something like this will impact weapons also. Has Lieutenant Reed been told?"

"No, these are preliminary discussions and a proposal would be put forwards to the Captain and all affected personnel. If the changes are accepted I have estimated it will boost efficiency by 2% but accuracy by 15%. The benefits will help Enterprise and it is illogical not to consider it." His manner was starting to annoy her. She was his superior in rank but his responses did not reflect this.

"Keep yer shirt on, Sub-Commander," he smiled. "We can investigate it - sure."

T'Pol was further nonplussed. Shirt? She wasn't wearing a shirt. And if she had been wearing a shirt instead of her Vulcan bodysuit why should she take it off? Illogical. She reviewed Commander Tucker's resume in her mind. Born in Florida, the third most populous state in the United States of America. Perhaps this was the standard dress style peculiar to that region. She had noted that national dress codes were an intriguingly flamboyant method of displaying cultural identity. Kilts in Scotland, the English bowler hat, Saris in India or Kimono's in Japan. The variations were endless. The article she had read did not explain whether these styles were worn as a general day to day uniform but perhaps Florida had some illogical fashion local to that state.

"Thank you Commander".

"Trip", he smiled.

T'Pol sighed inside and began to explain her idea. She has now been on a Human ship for almost 36 hours which was possibly a Vulcan record. In that time she had discovered more about Human behaviour than her previous 12 months at the Vulcan Compound and she believed she had successfully navigated the pitfalls of human unpredictability. It was just a shame that all she achieved here would ultimately be a negative mark against her career. As the Human phrase went 'C'est la vie' - 'such is life'. She squared her shoulders and confidently faced her future.


End file.
